A tender triumph for Symphony and soloist

Susan Blood

Friday

Oct 1, 2010 at 2:00 AM

When the artistic director and conductor who commissioned "The Gift of the Elk: A Suite for Native American Flute" introduced Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra’s new season with an all-Beethoven program, one couldn't help but wait for the other shoe to drop.

When the artistic director and conductor who commissioned “The Gift of the Elk: A Suite for Native American Flute” introduced Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra’s new season with an all-Beethoven program, one couldn't help but wait for the other shoe to drop.

And drop it did.

If last weekend's concert was any indication, this will be the year of the virtuosic soloist. From the moment he walked on stage, pianist Awadagin Pratt had our attention. Bespectacled, with dreadlocks to the middle of his back, he has a powerful, physical presence that belied the range of emotion conveyed in his playing of the Concerto No. 4 in G Major for Piano and Orchestra. He has a visible relationship to the music, coaxing the tenderness and triumph from this well-worn piece.

In the words of conductor Jung-Ho Pak, Pratt “plays up a storm.” There were moments when the soloist was so engrossed, it seemed the orchestra hated to interrupt. But this was not a one-sided conversation, with the orchestra merely remarking on the pianist's soliloquy. Pratt kept a close eye on Maestro Pak, tightly weaving the themes shared by pianist and orchestra.

Familiarity with a piece can reduce how we listen to it, until we don't hear it anymore. Beyond “playing up a storm,” Pratt woke the audience from comfortable familiarity, shining a light on nuances unnoticed.

The stage was set for Pratt with the Egmont Overture, apropos in all its triumphant fanfare.

In the second half of the program we heard Beethoven's 5th Symphony. “It's a little risky to begin with Beethoven's 5th because it's the most famous symphony ever written,” Pak admitted in a phone interview early last week. His intention was to show the audience what the orchestra was capable of after a long summer apart.

Starting the season listening to Beethoven's 5th, then, is like judging a new restaurant by the filet mignon. We are familiar with it and have an idea of what to expect. It is the means by which to measure success. If they do the filet well, we reason, the chef can be trusted.

The filet was delicious.

The trouble with familiarity, noted above, goes double for the 5th Symphony. We think we know it and predict what is next based on repeated listening. But the symphony itself is not predictable. It is full of bright, quick surprises, going from timid to triumphant in the blink of an eye. While the first movement is the most familiar, there's something about the feel of the second movement that's soul-satisfyingly deep and resonant. The shadowy third movement then gives way to the rousing fourth, leaving us all feeling quite victorious indeed.

It was lovely getting reacquainted with these old friends in such auspicious circumstances.

Over the years, Jung-Ho Pak has developed a level of trust with Cape Cod Symphony's audience. Between the Symphony's handling of an all-Beethoven program and consistently thrilling soloists like Awadagin Pratt, that trust is wisely placed.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.